Photography and New Media Course Syllabus

Course Information
ARTS 3340 Photography and New Media, Fall 2009
MONDAY 7-9:45 ATEC 1.104 MAC LAB

Professor Contact Information

Diane McGurren, 972.883.2292, mcgurren@utdallas.edu, AS 2.112
Office hours: MONDAY 5:30-6:30, and by appointment

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions

Prior completion of 2000 level studio arts course is required.
Command of general file management skills for a Mac or PC is expected.

Course Description
This studio art course provides instruction in digital photography, including camera
operation, image capture, lighting techniques, and digital workflow. This course will
emphasize the relationship between still image capture and applications in new media
contexts, such as networked environments and moving or animated images. Class
problems will prioritize output to screen and web. Discussions will address the work of
contemporary artists who embrace various strategies for electronic distribution of
images.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

Students will create images, applying digital photographic processes to emphasize the
relationship between still image capture and applications in new media contexts. They
will assess and evaluate the creative work of their peers through both written and verbal
critique, and will discuss and write about both historical and contemporary examples of
visual art. Students will develop ideas and choose approaches to generate a proposal
for an individual photography-based portfolio, which they will create.

Required Textbooks and Materials

Students must have at least a 3 megapixel camera. Students will be responsible for the
costs of any print output and storage media (external hard drive, CDR, CDRW, DVD).

Resources for photography students are posted at:

http://www.utdallas.edu/~waligore/utdphoto
User ID: photo2009
Password: lens
**opening PDFs works best with Explorer or Firefox. Use current version of Acrobat to
view them. Low cost Microsoft Ofice software is available from the campus bookstore.

Photography and New Media 1

UTD Web Server
To upload files via server in MAC lab, first log into the computer using your netid. Go to
“Go” drop down menu and click “Connect to server.” Enter “atec01” if it does not
automatically appear in the blank. Open the folder labeled “diane mcgurren.” Drag files
to folder labeled “drop box.” You will not be able to see what has been placed in this
folder, but trust me—once you have dragged work there, it’s there. PLEASE LABEL
YOUR FILES WITH YOUR LAST NAME AND ASSIGNMENT NUMBER (“name_2” or
“name_2a” if there is more than one file).

Assignments & Academic Calendar

August 24 Introduction to Course

August 31 Bring Camera and Manual

Camera operation/ Light
Introduce Assignment #3 Time / Space / Light
Documentary: Rivers and Tides
Reading: Weston, Seeing Photographically

September 7 Labor Day

No Class

September 14 Bring Camera and Manual

Practice shoot during class / Review of images
Digital Workflow / Camera RAW / Photoshop Tools
Reading: Savedoff, Escaping Reality
Introduce Assignment #1 Environment / Context

September 21 Digital Work Flow / Photoshop Tools / Web Gallery

Discussion: Roland Barthes’ Rhetoric of the Image, Keith Smith
Slide/Book Lecture: Calle, Weiner, Ruscha, Baldessari, Rossler
Video: Contacts
Introduce Final Project: Artist’s Book

September 28 Critique: Assignment # 1 Environment / Context

DUE: five images in jpeg format
CREATE PHOTOSHOP WEB GALLERY for image review
TURN IN GALLERY FOLDER VIA SERVER
Introduce Research Assignment

October 5 Web Art / Internet Art / YTMND.com

Lecture: Blair, Tilson, Bookchin, tsunami.net, Lialina and
Espenschied, Zuñiga, Archangel
Introduce assignment #2: Image / Text (photo prompt given)
DUE: written proposal for Final Project submitted via eLearning

October 12 YTMNDs
DUE: ONE image in response to prompt, ONE image to exchange
Artist for Research must be approved by this class

Photography and New Media 2

October 19 Presentation and Critique: Assignment #2 Image / Text
DUE: THREE YTMNDs uploaded to YTMND.com prior to class

October 26 Open Studio Work Day

October 31 In-progress critique of Final Project with instructor

Reading: Manovich, The Paradoxes of Digital Photography
(http://www.manovich.net/TEXT/digital_photo.html)

November 2 Research Presentations of Contemporary Artists

DUE: 500-word essay about chosen artist (hard copy)

November 9 Research Presentations of Contemporary Artists

November 16 Rachofsky House Visit

8605 Preston (b/t Walnut Hill and Northwest Hwy)
Dallas, TX 75225 214.373.3157

November 23 Critique: Assignment #3 Time / Space / Light

DUE: psd or jpeg file of four images on one canvas
TURN IN FILE VIA SERVER

November 30 Open Studio Work Day

December 7 Final critique

DUE: Final Project: Artist’s Book
1 page artist’s statement (hard copy)
Exhibition Response submitted via eLearning

Other Dates Worth Mentioning

October 30 – Nov 8 <body text = "gender”>

Visual Arts Main Gallery
Artist reception: Friday, October 30, 6:30 ‐ 8:30 pm
(costume contest is planned during opening reception)

December 4 – 11 Fall Arts Festival

Opening reception: December 11 at 6:45, Visual Arts Building

Jan. 22 – Feb. 20 Faculty exhibition (40th Ann.)

Visual Arts Main Gallery
Artist reception: January 22, Friday, 6:30 ‐ 8:30 pm

Feb 9 – March 26 Photojournalism of the Civil Rights Movement:

A View of the Cold War’s Home Fronts, The Comer Collection
Curated by Matt Hinckley
The University of Texas at Dallas, Green Center
Opening and Curator’s Talk: Feb. 9, 2:00 pm, Green Center

Photography and New Media 3

Grading Policy
Requirements include attendance and participation, student presentation, class
assignments, written and verbal critiques.

Attendance and participation: 20%

Active participation in critique, discussion, and during studio work days
Preparation for class, including files uploaded for critique before class begins
Attendance at Rachofsky House and response to exhibition

Assignments (10% each): 30%

A total of three assignments will provide a general framework for technical practice and
for exploring issues in photography and new media. Each assignment requires a
different final output. Assignment sheets will be distributed during class outlining the
specific requirements for each project.

Research presentation: 20%

Sign up for a photographer from the list included in the assignment sheet. Prepare a 10-
15 minute talk, write a 500-word essay about the artist’s work (must also include
bibliography), and provide a URL with image. Research via library, online, and through
McDermott Library ejournals.

Final project and accompanying artist’s statement: 30%

The final project must incorporate photographic imagery (and perhaps text) to create a
printed artist’s book based on a topic, theme, or narrative selected by the student and
approved by the instructor. A written proposal is to be submitted via eLearning. The final
project will also include a one-page accompanying artist’s statement.

Grading Criteria for Creative Work

1. Concept: what’s the idea? Does it solve the problem posed in the assignment?
2. Relationship between content and form: how does the idea for the image
influence the selection of the image’s content and process of execution?
3. Experimentation: has this image been seen before? What risks with materials,
conventions, content, design, or execution have been taken?
4. Presentation: given the limitation of the workshops, what kind of effort, care, and
attention has been devoted to the creation of the images?

Course & Instructor Policies

Photography Technical Assistant: Kathryn Bryant
kathryn.bryant@utdallas.edu office: AS 2.112 / 972-883-2292
hours for equipment checkout: M,W,R (alternate) 2:30-4:30

Photography and New Media is a practice-based studio course. During specific course
periods when studio work is scheduled, students should be prepared to shoot, edit files,
or review images with instructor. Attendance at critiques is comparable to exams in
lecture courses and integral to the student’s development. The assignments are
designed to assess the student’s ability to apply principles discussed in class and to
observe the student’s improvement over time. Late assignments will de down-graded
one whole letter grade. Work submitted more than two weeks past the deadline will not
be accepted.

Photography and New Media 4

This class will emphasize digital image capture, or shooting. Therefore, for your
assignments, do not use web downloads, scans from magazines, clip art, or clip
photography. Work created with such images will not be accepted for evaluation.
If you are exploring a particular topic that lends itself to some use of appropriation, or
borrowing, consult with instructor in advance. The use of “found language” in creative
writings or image compositions should also be discussed with instructor in advance.

Attendance is required. The final grade for class participation will be lowered due
to absenteeism. Arriving late or leaving early is disruptive and should be avoided.
Students who are absent from class when assignments are introduced need to check
with other students regarding the parameters of the exercise. The instructor will only
clarify specific points. Students will need to work outside of class in order to complete
assignments in a timely manner. Work submitted for evaluation must be generated
by the individual student and must be the product of the current semester and
class. Any student with a severe illness or other problems that hinder productivity and
attendance must contact the instructor at mcgurren@utdallas.edu. It is the student’s
responsibility to obtain a written medical excuse and to submit it to the instructor if
absences are due to medical problems. Students with special needs that relate to
physical challenges should consult with the instructor as early as possible in the
semester.

Proper academic conduct during class is expected. Students are responsible for
maintaining a cooperative learning environment. Do not work on projects for other
classes, surf the web, check email, chat, text, or answer cell phones during class time.

Technical Support

If you experience any problems with your UTD account you may send an email to:
assist@utdallas.edu or call the UTD Computer Helpdesk at 972-883-2911.

Field Trip Policies

Off-campus Instruction and Course Activities

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law
and University policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities.
Information regarding these rules and regulations may be found at the website address
http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm. Additional
information is available from the office of the school dean. Below is a description of any
travel and/or risk-related activity associated with this course.

Students are encouraged to coordinate amongst themselves regarding travel to off-

campus sites for gallery visits or shooting sessions. A form must be filled out by each
student and submitted in advance of the trip. This form will be distributed during class.

Student Conduct & Discipline

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 The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and
regulations for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of
each student and each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and
regulations which govern student conduct and activities. General information on student
conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD printed publication, A to Z Guide, which is
provided to all registered students each academic year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of
recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the
Rules and Regulations, Series 50000, Board of Regents, The University of Texas
System, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the university’s
Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are available
to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are available to
assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391) and
online at http://www.utdallas.edu/judicialaffairs/UTDJudicialAffairs-HOPV.html

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of
citizenship. He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the
Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to
discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or
off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

Academic Integrity

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty.
Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the
work done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a
high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic Dishonesty, any student who commits an act of scholastic dishonesty is

subject to discipline. Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating,
plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are
attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another
person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit
such acts.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from
any other source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on
plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of
turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.

Copyright Notice

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making
of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials, including music and
software. Copying, displaying, reproducing, or distributing copyrighted works may infringe
the copyright owner’s rights and such infringement is subject to appropriate disciplinary
action as well as criminal penalties provided by federal law. Usage of such material is
only appropriate when that usage constitutes “fair use” under the Copyright Act. As a UT
Dallas student, you are required to follow the institution’s copyright policy (Policy
Memorandum 84-I.3-46). For more information about the fair use exemption, see
http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/copypol2.htm

Email Use

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 The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication
between faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises
some issues concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange.
The university encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a
student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and staff consider email from
students official only if it originates from a UTD student account. This allows the
university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individual
corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each
student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with university
personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method
for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.

Withdrawal from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level
courses. These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog.
Administration procedures must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle
withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any
student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final
grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and
Activities, of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other

fulfillments of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a
serious effort to resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or
committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”).
Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and
evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the grievance must be
submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the respondent’s School Dean. If
the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the respondent, the
student may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not resolved
by the School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of
Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an
Academic Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The
results of the academic appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean
of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules
and regulations.

Incomplete Grade Policy

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably
missed at the semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed.
An incomplete grade must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the
subsequent long semester. If the required work to complete the course and to remove
the incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the incomplete grade is
changed automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services

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 The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational
opportunities equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in
room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to
6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to
5:30 p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)
disabilityservice@utdallas.edu

If you anticipate issues related to the format or requirements of this course, please meet
with the Coordinator of Disability Services. The Coordinator is available to discuss ways
to ensure your full participation in the course. If you determine that formal, disability-
related accommodations are necessary, it is very important that you be registered with
Disability Services to notify them of your eligibility for reasonable accommodations.
Disability Services can then plan how best to coordinate your accommodations.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty
members to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations.
Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor after class or
during office hours.

Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required
activities for the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose
places of worship are exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas
Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible
regarding the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so
excused, will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment within a
reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a
maximum of one week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any missed
exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who fails to
complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a failing
grade for that exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the
purpose of observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about
whether the student has been given a reasonable time to complete any missed
assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling
from the chief executive officer of the institution, or his or her designee. The chief
executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative intent of TEC
51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief executive
officer or designee.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the
Instructor.

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